Free Treasure Sleuth by Amy Shaw Page B

ignore that. A high pitched squeal like a dolphin talking is a good signal so we dig it up."
    "That's it?"
    "That's it."
    Abby put the yellow cupped headphones on and began swinging the machine left and right. "This is so heavy, how do you swing this and hold that heavy sand scoop at the same time?"
    "You get used to it, but I'll carry the sand scoop, you just concentrate on the detecting. It is a heavy machine, but it gets lighter in the water."
    Mark followed a few steps behind, too busy watching Abby's body move than watching her technique. After a few minutes of nothing but the machines threshold hum, Abby turned and asked "Am I doing this right?" catching Mark off guard.
    "Er... yes, that's right. Let me see again," he said. Concentrate. Concentrate.
    Abby had a habit of lifting the search head up at the ends of her swings adding an additional several inches and losing depth.
    "Here," said Mark taking the machine from her. "Watch the search head. You're swinging left to right and lifting the coil into the air each time. Twist your arm as you move left to right and you'll keep the search coil as close to the ground as possible."
    "What if I hit the ground?"
    "It doesn't matter if it happens but try not to hit the ground. More like skim the ground."
    Mark gave her the detector back and she tried to copy his technique.
    "That's better," he said, "But you're still going up slightly at the ends."
    He stuck the sand scoop into the ground and stood right up behind her. Putting his arms around her, he placed his hand on her hand and moved the detector with her. His lips were close to her ear and the scent of her perfume was intoxicating. Wisps of her hair brushed lightly against his cheeks as the wind blew.
    "It's more like this," he explained as he moved her arm left and right making sure it twisted down slightly as it swept above the sand. "Left and down, right and down in a rhythm."
    Mark eased his grip and gave Abby the freedom to move on her own. She started to slow down and turned her body to face Mark. Her eyes looked up and said all he needed to hear. Without saying a word, Mark cupped his hands around her face, leaned in and kissed her. She relaxed her grip on the detector running the fingers of her other hand around his neck, pulling him in closer.
    Abby suddenly heard a high-pitched squeal in her headphones that Mark could hear also. He let her go and she marked the spot with her foot while Mark got to work placing the metal sand scoop over the area and pushing his body weight on top.
    "Let me try," said Abby as she handed him the detector and took hold of the sand scoop. "Geez... This. Is. Ridiculous. How the hell are you supposed to lift this?" she asked panting with sheer exhaustion.
    "Here, let me get it out of the sand for you," Mark said holding the detector in his left hand while lifting the sand scoop out with one mighty pull of his right. Placing it back onto the sand by Abby's feet he motioned for her to take over. Using both hands she lifted the scoop up into the air to attempt to shake the sand through the small holes in the side.
    "Don't worry about doing that," Mark said. "The sand is too wet so it all sticks together. Just tip it up onto the beach."
    Abby tried but just dropped the scoop onto the sandy floor. Mark laughed.
    "I didn't mean throw it down," he joked.
    "I didn't mean to, it's so damn heavy!" Abby laughed back.
    Lifting the scoop back up, the sand inside slid out in one lump into a mound on the beach.
    "Here, detect over the hole to make sure we've got it," Mark said handing back the machine to Abby.
    "Nothing," she said hovering the detector back and forth over the hole now filled with water. Mark motioned for her to go over the scoop's mound.
    "Yes!" Abby said. "It's in there somewhere."
    Mark crouched down pulling out a short stubby plastic probe.
    "This is a pin-pointer," he said pressing a button and making it bleep. "Move it slowly through the sand until the bleeps get quicker, and it